


Becoming

by BAlvinia



Category: Original Work
Genre: Empathy, Fae & Fairies, Fantasy, Gen, Original Character(s), Originally Posted Elsewhere, Originally Posted on Tumblr, POV Alternating, POV Female Character, POV First Person, POV Original Character, POV Third Person, Psychic Abilities, Worldbuilding
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-05
Updated: 2020-07-17
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:35:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25100011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BAlvinia/pseuds/BAlvinia
Summary: A young woman finds that time has passed while she was somewhere that she can't remember. Now, she belongs to a new world where all is not as it seems, and war is coming.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 1





	1. Chapter 1

I had another life once. That afternoon changed it all in one accident. My memory is hazy. All I could remember at first was running and suddenly, falling. When I woke up, it was with a gasp to fill my lungs with freezing air. My clothes were covered in dirt, my shoulder-length hair had leaves entangled in it. I was somehow exhausted while energized at the same time. Bits and pieces from the Other World taunted my mind. Was it all part of a dream?

I assumed that I had only been knocked out. As I walked to town, more was coming to mind. The cracking of bones and the feel of that sticky, warm liquid began to force its way into my mind. I shuddered. Music that was both jovial and haunting -strange as that sounds- surfaced next in my memory, along with images of people in strange clothing dancing and laughing. I danced with them. Somebody took me from that room. I do not remember what was said. Then there was a bright light.

When I found my way back to town, I was quick to realize that something was strange there. Hadn't I merely been unconscious for a few hours? Not much could have changed that quickly. I noted an empty lot where a store had just been, a newly paved road. People were giving me strange looks as I walked along the street. I know that I looked a mess, but they really could have been more discreet with the staring.

The moment when it sunk in that something was seriously wrong was after I happened to glance at a store's sign. "CLOSED for renovations. Oct 26- Nov 2, 2013." I stopped myself and read it again. That's silly, I thought. Why would they have notification so far in advance? It was probably a typo. I walked onward and into a store to see if I could borrow a phone, stopping once again when I saw the date on a newspaper. Nov 1, 2013. That couldn't be right.

"Hey," I stepped up to the counter. "Can I ask the date?"

The cashier was texting, but answered without looking up. "November first."

I rolled my eyes. "2011, right?"

That was when he looked at me as if I had said there was a fire-breathing dragon just outside the shop. He didn't seem to know whether I was joking or not, but finally resolved to say something with an annoyed tone. "Sure, 2 years ago... You buying something or not?"

It was my turn to be at a loss for words. This had to be some sort of prank. It had to be, right? I took a breath and counted to ten. The last day that I remembered had been May 1st, 2011. I didn't understand what was going on. Remembering that I'd come into the store for a phone, I looked back in embarrassment toward the guy. "Is there a phone that I can borrow?"

He motioned toward a corner of the store. Payphones had gone the way of the endangered species in most places, but I was happily surprised to see one there. Digging through my pockets, I managed to find the change needed to make a call.

The phone rang several times before a woman picked up. "Hey mom?" I inquired. The answering voice had sounded like her.

It sounded like she started to respond, but there was a pause before she spoke up again. "Sorry, you've got the wrong number." Before I could say anything else, I heard the click signalling the end of the call. I sighed. There went my plan to get a ride home. With not much else to do and not enough change to try again, I decided to walk. The cashier was probably glad to see me leave.

It was nearing dark by the time I made it to my apartment. The keys I had been carrying were missing, so I started to check for the spare inside my pot of roses. Except my flowers were gone. Just great. I made my way to the landlord's building and knocked on their door.

"Yes?" The older woman had answered. She was always friendly.

I gave her an apologetic smile. "Sorry to bother you. I lost my keys." There shouldn't be a need to spell it out for her.

She gave me a quizzical look. "I'm sorry? I don't recognize you."

I returned the look, nervousness settling in. "Apartment 5?" There was no way that she couldn't recognize me. I'd lived there for several years.

Mrs. Price shook her head sadly. "That one's been empty for a while now. The poor girl who lived there went missing some time ago. We're almost done with some renovations to it. Did you recently rent out a different apartment?"

All I could do was stand there and stare at her for a minute. She didn't know who I was. My apartment wasn't mine anymore. I was sure that it was my mother's phone that I had called earlier. And, I'd somehow missed over two years. None of this was adding up. I heard her shuffle her feet in the doorway.

"I'm sorry," I spoke quietly. "I... I must have been mistaken." Without waiting to see if she had anything else to say, I turned around and quickly walked away.

I walked to my mother's house the next day. It wasn't far from the park where I had slept the night before.

When she answered the door, her expression matched that of the landlady's the night before. After a moment of pause, I smiled.

"Hey, mom. Why'd you hang up on me last night?"

She looked even more confused. "I'm sorry?"

"Don't do this, mom." I sighed. "I've had a weird day yesterday. Did I do something wrong?"

The woman at the door shook her head. At first, I thought she was saying "no", but her face began to show sadness. "I don't know who you are, but you're not my daughter. If this is some kind of joke, you need to leave."

"No, mom!" My heart started racing. If she truly didn't recognize me, what would I do? "I'm Renée. Renée! This isn't funny."

"You're right. This isn't funny. Renée has been missing. Whoever you are, it isn't her."

I stepped toward the door. My chest felt heavy with disbelief. "Yes, mom. It is me. I really am Renée. Why don't you recognize me?"

"Young lady, you may be confused and in possible need of psychiatric help.” Her eyes were now brimming with tears. "Just get out of here," she said in a quiet voice as she slammed the door in my face.

I could easily imagine that I must have looked unhinged to her. My night was spent on a soft patch of grass, so I was unable to shower or put on clean clothes. I hadn’t even had the comfort of a restful sleep. My eyes were likely still red from crying for much of the night. I could feel the tears returning again as I stared at her door. Finally, I used my sleeve to wipe them away with a determination to find out what was happening.

A quick internet search on the public library's computer later revealed that I wasn't entirely delusional: everything that I remembered seemed to be correct. I found my old social media pages and logged in. The problem? An article from a couple of years ago revealed that I was supposed to be assumed dead. It made no sense to me. Surely, there was some huge mistake and- And what? My mind raced with any explanation it could grasp onto. None of them seemed logical enough for me to settle on believing. The rest of the day was spent wandering the streets. With nowhere to go and nobody to turn to, I was at a loss.

A woman called after me around dusk. I had been lost in thought trying to at least think of some place to go, and she startled me when she spoke my name. She seemed vaguely familiar, but I could not match her face to a name.

“Call me Ané," she'd said with what I thought was a spark of amusement in her eyes. I hadn't asked or otherwise indicated that I didn't know who she was. With red hair, steel-blue eyes, and the height of an Amazon; this woman would have been difficult to forget.

"I can help, you know." Ané sounded sure of herself.

I rolled my eyes before responding, "I hardly think that you can. You don't even-"

She cut me off. "I don't even… What?" There was the amused tone again. "You don't belong here anymore. I can fix that. At the very least, your transition can go more smoothly."

That stopped me in my tracks. There was no possible way that this stranger could know my situation. Yet, she sounded like she just might. Foolish as it may seem, I decided to hear her out. "Okay," I said apprehensively. “What can you do for me?" If she actually knew something, maybe she'd be able to tell me what was going on.

Ané strolled by. "Everything that you need right now. Follow me."

Apprehensively, and feeling like I had no other choice, I did.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Renee is attempting to readjust to her life with Ané's help. Without being able to reconnect with old friends and new abilities coming to surface, she's left wondering if she belongs in her old world any longer.

Several weeks had passed. I was working at a small bookshop and had an apartment just a short distance away from there. Ané had aided me in my attempt to start over. That's all I could do at this point. My new life was a blank slate. She still didn't answer every question that I had. Those answers that she did give were either vague or difficult to believe.  
"The you that was is dead," she told me at one point. "But you're very much alive." Some pieces were coming together to make sense to me, even if I didn't understand what had happened.  
My life was very similar to the way it was before I lost my identity. The only obvious difference was that none of the same people were in it. When somebody from the past did happen to cross paths with me, it was very brief and we each went our own ways. It was probably for the best. Trying to re-establish a relationship with anyone would have hurt more than letting them move on did.  
It felt awkward to establish new relationships. I couldn't talk about my past and nobody would understand what I had gone through. Ané was the only one who I presently regarded as a friend, although she was more of a mentor than anything. I came to look to her as a source of comfort and advice. The biggest influence of this was a development of an ability that I hadn't had before. I just knew things. It started out mostly unnoticeable, things that were easily dismissed as coincidence or being subconsciously clued in on body language. One aspect of this was what humans would call being an empath. As the weeks progressed, it grew stronger with impressions or images accompanying it. It wasn't much of a shock like you'd think suddenly gaining a super power would be. No, confusion is what set in once I noticed a pattern. That's when I approached Ané about it.  
"What's going on?" I felt silly bringing up the topic, but it was beginning to freak me out. That whole day I'd been bombarded with things entering my mind that shouldn't have been. A customer would be smiling as I ring up their purchase. All the while, I'd sense Anéoyance from them and I'd get a flash of vague word-images, "ridiculous! used... expensive."  
When a co-worker came in, she was visibly aggravated with having to come in on her day off. Despite that, I felt a surge of happiness underneath it, accompanying images of wedding gowns. Nobody had known that she was so much as seeing someone until she later told us that she was engaged. It was small things like that, but happening too often for me to overlook.  
I explained these moments to Ané, whose lips curved upward as she gave a shrug. "You're gaining your Sight. Most of us have it."  
I groaned, annoyed with her habit of barely answering questions. "Us? Who is this 'us'? What are we, Ané?" My voice was strained, trying to keep it calm while I wanted to yell. All the woman could seem to do was shrug again with a knowing smile. I got the feeling that she was playing some sort of game with me.  
I studied her face with a defeated sigh.  
"Your answers never satisfy me," I said barely above a whisper. "I want to know more. I need to."  
She took both of my hands into her own. "More will come in time. I cannot tell you everything just yet. Just know that you will know the full truth soon enough."  
I shook my head before walking away. Ané sounded sincere, but what would I know? A part of me feared that she was the cause of my life's upheaval.

If I didn't sugarcoat it, I'd have to be honest and say that life was becoming difficult for me. It wasn't any one thing in particular. All of those things add up and bear down on a person. Every time I saw somebody from my past, I ached inside. People who knew me at work were beginning to think that I was crazy or else just plain weird. Maybe it was the way I'd comment on things they never actually voiced aloud, or the way I'd suddenly seem to space out in the middle of a conversation. It was like my mind could not keep up with how I was supposed to react to things. Not knowing quite how to make it all stop, knowing that I couldn't just go back a couple of years, was forcing me into a state of depression. I didn't really want to stay around much longer. Where else could I go? No other place in this world would make anything better.  
Every single day, I drudged on and kept to the same routine. I feared that much deviation from that would lead to an emotional breakdown, which may lead to more difficulty holding onto my sanity. Although Ané told me that what I was experiencing was normal, there was still a sense of madness lurking within it.

I was sitting at the shop, looking through a box of new books that had come in. I was supposed to be sorting and placing the appropriate price stickers on them. As I worked on that, everything seemed to fade away. I found myself hovering over an unknown place where a castle was visible in the distance. Shouts sounded out beneath me, guttural sounds of pain and anger, shrieks of fear. A look down revealed a battlefield. I searched the chaos and saw a glimpse of a woman who appeared to be Ané. A feeling of mourning passed over me.  
"Renée!" A deep voice caught my attention, the owner of it looking upon me in disapproval. "Enough daydreaming, these books need to be ready on the shelf before the store opens." It was the manager. I found myself staring at him in confusion before I quickly looked away. What was that all about? Shaking my head, I busied myself with my work and filed the previous vision away in my mental files. It might be something I would need to speak with Ané about. For the time being, I busied myself with my work.

When I arrived home, I was fully prepared to launch more questions toward Ané. She usually came over around the same time every day. That day, however, she was growing later and later. When I heard a knock on a door, I opened it with the expectation that it would be her. A man smiled at me from outside the threshold.  
"Hello," he almost crooned.  
I raised my brow. "Do I know you?"  
He looked at me quizzically. "I'm hurt. I'd have thought that our dear Queen would have told you about me." The way his grey eyes shone with amusement reminded me of when I'd first met Ané.  
"I'm sorry? Whose queen?" I was starting to get an uneasy feeling.  
He stepped inside, forcing me to back away. "Ours. You are one of the Aefry, a fae, are you not?"  
I shook my head. What was an Aefry? "I- I don't know what..."  
To my relief, Ané appeared. "What are you doing here, Gair?" Her voice was harsh, giving away her annoyance.  
The man smiled. "I was only checking upon you, my Queen." He'd turned around and was now bowing before her. The ponytail his long, dark hair was tied back into fell gracefully over his shoulder. I looked questioningly at Ané.  
Her eyes directed toward me, then back to the stranger she called Gair. "You're trying to interfere in my business. I ask you again, what exactly are you doing?"  
Gair stood up. "I thought that you would be returning with the girl. You've only come and gone with nobody accompanying you."  
She glared at him, he shrunk back. Neither one spoke for a few minutes. I got the feeling that they were having a conversation that I simply could not hear. "Excuse me? I'd like to know what's going on."  
Ané frowned and walked inside, leading me to the couch. "It's time that I take you home, Renée. I was planning on giving you a few more days, but it seems that some people-" she gave Gair a pointed look, "simply cannot wait."


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Change in POV from first person to third person. Renée is brought to a new world to work in the castle of Ané. Still not getting many answers, she begins to adjust to her new life.

It was dusk when Queen Ané brought the young woman home. Renée was set up in a small room on the servant's wing of the castle. The room was furnished with the bare necessities and she was instructed to meet with someone named Summer in the morning. As she looked around the bedroom, a feeling of terror came over her. It was nothing like the terror she had felt months ago at feeling like a stranger in a familiar place. This was the anxiety of being in a place she was not familiar with, surrounded by strangers. It still felt nauseating. She wasn’t sure that she’d be able to sleep that night. Instead, Renée opened the chest and drawers. They were empty. She had been instructed to bring nothing and hoped that she would at least be supplied with clothes.  
With a sigh, Renée crawled into bed. Her mind pored over the events of the afternoon. Renée had argued with Ané about how she couldn’t leave her home. Yes, everything had changed and it hurt to live there, but it was the only place she’d ever known. The queen turned that point right back around at the young woman, telling her that going to the queendom would allow her to thrive now that she had changed. That was the limit of her memory. Everything else was unclear in her mind, as if she had been drugged or under a spell. As much as she tried to remember how she had actually arrived at the castle, the memory would not come before she finally fell asleep.

Summer looked like she had been born for her name. She had freckled, olive skin and hair that looked like it was bleached by the sun’s kiss. The woman had walked right in and pulled the blankets from the newcomer’s body. Renée wasn’t used to being woken up so early in the morning. From the light flowing through the window, she guessed the sun had barely risen. The blonde laid out some clothing on the bed, then stepped from the room. Renée could hear her tapping her foot outside the door as she got dressed. It made her realize that she might have slept in. “What time was I supposed to meet you by?”  
There was a groan. “Really? Sunrise. I can’t believe I had to come get you.”  
Renée peeked out the door with a grumble. “It’s not like I have an alarm clock.”  
Summer pushed through the door to grab Renée’s arm. “Okay. We can remedy that later. As it is now, I’m late showing you around and I have other things to do afterward.”

The castle was similar to one you would see in a movie about the middle ages, but modernized. The halls were mostly bare, with lamps lighting the way where windows didn’t. A vacuum cleaner could be heard somewhere, and it sounded like someone had a movie playing as they passed one room. Summer guided Renée down the servant’s wing to the kitchen. “You don’t want to get in the way of Tammy while she’s busy.”  
Renée guessed that was the older woman who was currently in the process of cooking. Before she could so much as verify that assumption, she was ushered on.  
Renée met Bryan and Charles, both farmers, outside. The two men greeted her with a smile and laughed at Summer’s haste to finish the tour. They were just packing up their truck after having made their daily delivery to the castle. By the time the two women had covered the grounds as much as Summer had plAnéed, they returned to the kitchen.  
“We haven’t decided where you’ll be placed, so you can switch out every other day. I’ll start you with Tammy here, then tomorrow you can help me with cleaning duties.”  
Tammy looked at Renée through her glasses as she set some newly clean pans aside. “Nice to meet you. Hopefully you’ll be a better worker than some people around here.” She nodded toward a small group of four who were clustered together next to the pantry.  
Summer leaned conspiratorially toward Renée. “They’re a gossipy bunch. I think Jillian got a letter from her new beau. You can be sure you’ll hear all about it when they realize you’re another set of ears.”  
Renée smiled politely. As long as everyone was at least civil, she could handle gossip.

It was only moderately difficult for Renée to adjust to her new home and jobs. The work itself was simple, but tiring. In most ways, it was similar to some of the jobs she’d worked in her previous life. She had been switched between stations in the kitchen and cleaning elsewhere in the castle several times already. Waking at sunrise became a constant. Renée spent her time while working trying to figure out the rules of the castle and made an attempt not to draw attention to herself. Renée ate meals made from leftovers with the other servants in between duties. She changed tasks without complaint when told to. At the end of each day, she would often lay in the garden while reading a book.  
The biggest change for Renée was that she was now in a castle that was literally in another world. Renée found out that this world was known as Autre Shí. The queendom they inhabited there was Aefry. It was bordered by an ocean and three other kingdoms. Some of the fae were able to travel between worlds at will. Others had to use portals. All had some sort of magical ability, which seemed to vary in type and skill.  
Renée often watched her coworkers from the corner of her eye. She knew that Jillian always sprinkled a powdered substance on the broom to make it sweep by itself so she could sneak away for a few minutes. Tabitha grew herbs in the windowsill in seconds if the kitchen ran out when they were needed. Summer lit up every dimly lit room she walked in, and chilly air became warm around her.  
As the weeks drew on, she began feeling more comfortable. At the same time, it felt like she was missing something important.

One evening, Ané caught Renée coming around a corner and pulled her aside. "You seem to be adjusting well here."  
The girl stared at her for a moment. "Oh, you speak to me now? I feel that I am. It's not..." She paused for a moment, thinking of how to word what she'd say next. She hadn't seen Ané since the mysterious woman had dropped her off in this place. It was never as if she knew the woman well. Renée was also still getting used to the idea of her mentor being the queen. She realized now that it might be a good idea to be mindful of how she worded things.  
"It's not exactly what I'd have expected of life in a castle such as this, but I think I'm lucky to have been given the chance to live here." She smiled at the Queen. "Even as a servant, I should add. We are treated very well for the most part."  
The older woman's eyes showed her pleasure. "Good. I expect that you'll continue doing a good job on your chores.”   
Renée nodded and started to turn away. She stopped and looked back to Ané. "The telepathy or whatever I had before. It seems to have left since I've come here. Do you know why?"  
Ané gave a shrug of her shoulders. "Mortals leave their minds unguarded much more than we do. You should work on shielding yours better, by the way. I expect that you'll have a full barrier up by the time that I call on you again."  
Renée was glad to have finally been given a direct answer to something. The fact that it meant new questions to be answered didn't cross her mind at this point. She sighed in relief and went on her way.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Renée makes a new friend at the castle, but she also begins to learn of a darker side to her new home.

For the next week and a few days afterward, Renée worked on learning about shielding during what free time she managed to find. She already knew that part of the problem must have been how expressive she was. Many of those who were very adept at putting on a show had stronger barriers, although it wasn't always the case. The biggest issue was on a magical level. Renée found the library and pored through books on magical theory, psychic abilities, and energy work. Much of what she found was only informative in a non-practical sense. She was almost ready to give up when she decided to just outright ask for help. She caught the attention of a fellow servant called Erin, one whom she'd heard had also been mortal-born. "I need to ask you a question, if that's okay.”  
"Sure. What's up?" The other fae stopped what they were doing for a moment and glanced at Renée.  
"Somebody mentioned something about shielding minds? I guess that's something Aefry-born are more accustomed to than humans, right?" Her voice wavered. The woman's thoughts of feeling silly and inadequate were fading out with her frustration.  
Erin shook their head, eyes rolling. "First of all, we're not human anymore. You don't need to compare yourself to them. Yes, it's something the Aefry-born generally tend to have an advantage in at first."  
"I just... How do I-?" Renée tried to figure out what she needed to ask, but didn’t know how to phrase the question.  
"Learn to shield and all that? It's all about energy. You envision it and go from there. If you pay attention, you should be able to see what others have done. Like me? Pay attention. There should be a thin veil of energy around me. That's my barrier. Yours is there, but it's pretty damn flimsy. It goes in and out still like a human's does. Focus on your energy and strengthen that barrier."  
Renée felt like she was at a loss. She stared at the other Aef for a few moments. The energy surrounding them looked something similar to mist. It wasn't much and could easily be overlooked if one wasn't paying attention.  
"Is that...? She started, but changed her mind. The girl wanted to try to make hers. She closed her eyes in an attempt to clear her mind. The idea of doing anything with this energy was incredibly confusing for her. How did it work, she wondered? Renée whimpered at the thought of how clueless she was. When she finally tried to focus on the energy that surrounded herself and change it, Renée felt a sensation something like a light cloth moving around her. She clumsily worked the energy until it felt heavier.  
"You're getting it!" The outburst had Renée looking wide-eyed at the Aef she'd been speaking with.   
"I am? It's working?" She sounded hopeful.  
"Sure is. It'll take time to perfect your skills with energy manipulation, but you seem to have gotten the idea well enough for now." Erin smiled.  
Renée returned the smile with a nod. "Thank you for your help. I guess I'd better get going…" She ran off without waiting for a reply.   
As the next couple of weeks passed, Renée continued doing her work while teaching herself everything she felt that she needed to know. She found time to meet with Erin when she could, asking questions for the things that she wanted help with and making conversation. Renée had begun to grow attached to the other fae.  
“I heard that some of the others were having a party across the fields tonight, do you go?” She wanted an excuse to spend more time with Erin.  
Erin shrugged. “I’m not much of a party person, although I could go if you want to.”  
She looked conflicted, her face falling even as she felt a tinge of relief. “Neither am I, actually.”  
Erin smiled. “We could do something else together, if you’d like.”  
Renée’s face lit up. “I would. I’d like that. Where should we go?” She hadn’t been outside of the palace for anything that wasn’t work related.  
The other fae winked with a sly grin. “How about I surprise you? There’s somewhere not far from here. We could go at sundown.”

The two were to meet right outside the courtyard. Renée had just brushed her hair and pulled it into a neat ponytail so that she’d at least have some semblance of looking nice after a day’s work. She didn’t have much in the way of clothing, so what she’d already had on would have to do. She heard a knock at the door. With a sigh, the young woman opened it. She didn’t know who it could be, but seeing Gair stand there surprised her. He hadn’t seemed to be around during the whole time she’d been at the castle.   
“Umm… Can I help you?”  
He grinned and stepped inside, pushing her back. “I might need a little favor.”  
“Like what? I was told that I was off duty and that any requests should be handled by the night staff. I’m sure you know who they are.”  
He shook his head. “Don’t worry, it’s not related to your work. Keep an eye on Erin for me. I’d heard you had been hanging around that one a lot lately.”  
Renée raised a brow. “Why are you so interested in Erin?”  
“That’s none of your concern. Just do it.” He turned around to leave, but stopped. His back still to her, he added, “Keep yourself safe. I don’t think there’s any reason not to trust Erin, but there are others that you need to watch out for.” Before Renée could ask him what he was talking about, Gair had walked out the door. She huffed and childishly stuck her tongue out in his general direction. That man was being as vague as Ané had always been. It drove her crazy in the most annoying way. She was glad to be rid of him, however. She grabbed a thin coat and ran out the door.

When Erin caught sight of Renée, their face lit up like a bonfire on Samhain Night. Renée didn’t miss it and returned the smile. “Hey! Are we ready to go? I still don’t know exactly where we’re going.”  
“It’s over toward the left of the fields. There’s a path that leads to… Well, I wanted it to be a surprise. Just follow me? I think you’ll love it.”  
Renée nodded. “Show me the way.”  
The two fae walked along a wall until it twisted in a sharp curve where they climbed over and continued to the tree line. The path was narrow with branches stuck out and uneven ground along the way. Several minutes of walking was all they needed before Renée gasped at the yellow lights floating ahead of them. The moonlight reflected itself off of a small pond that was surrounded by fireflies.  
“It’s breathtaking…” Her voice was barely a whisper.  
“It is, isn’t it? It’s definitely better than what many of the other fae are doing tonight.” Erin’s voice held a tone of contempt.  
Renée gave her a curious look. “I’m sure it’s not so bad if you’re a social butterfly. You sound like a party’s a horrible thing.”  
“You don’t know, do you?” Shock was evident by Erin’s tone.  
Renée slowly shook her head as a slightly uneasy feeling came over her.  
“Many of them weren’t born human like us. Even those who were,” Erin paused as if to consider the words, “they changed. At the parties, some groups of fae like to lure humans in from earth-side. Sometimes the guest gets to go back home. Other times, the guest is killed or forced to stay.”  
“You’re serious? Does the Queen know about this?”  
“She allows it. You must understand this: The fae are not human. They live by different rules. They don’t all see humans as being equal to us. We are fae. That’s why you need to be careful. I’d hate to see you lose your humanity. Tell me, by the way, how did the Queen come to bring you here?”  
“I don’t know. She found me the day I came back home. I missed a couple of years and nobody knew who I was. She helped me out until some guy showed up and then she brought me here and dumped me in the servant’s wing. I’ve gotten almost no explanations and no guidebook for this fae thing.”  
Erin nodded in recognition of Renée’s words. As the two stood in silence, their hands found each other. Neither knew what else to say although both felt the need for some sort of reassurance.  
After a while, Renée broke the silence. “How long have you been here? I don’t know your story.”  
The other fae shrugged. “I think it’s been a few years or so. My uncle brought me here after I got out of the hospital. He and my great-grandfather had been half brothers. I grew up hearing the stories, although I never knew any of it was true until I got here.”  
“So, you were already part fae?”  
“I grew up completely human.”  
Renée and Erin lost track of time recounting their last memories of their previous lives. As it turned out, Gair was the uncle that brought Erin to Aefry.  
“Wait, he’s your uncle?” Renée had asked. She supposed that would explain why he was asking about her friend.   
“Yeah. He arranged for me to come work here.”  
Renée looked thoughtful. “He must be important.” She remembered the first time she had met him. The man had seemed bold, yet respectful. At the time, the way he acted toward Ané had been off-putting. The young woman didn’t know then who Ané really was. Once she found out, it had somewhat made sense. Renée was so focused on her thoughts that she had tuned her friend out.  
“Hello… You still there?” A hand waved in her face. Erin had an irritated look on their face. “Let’s go. It’s getting late.”

Upon returning to the castle, Renée and Erin paused in the hallway. Laughter could be heard just around a corner. Erin took Renée's hand in theirs.  
“I had a good time tonight, Renée,” they said. “It's been a while since I had a friend that I could have a heart to heart with.”  
The newer Aef grinned. “Yeah, same. I still feel so out of place here.”  
The two friends continued along the hall, coming along a small group. A few of the people they squeezed past were familiar, Summer was leaning against a man who stopped by the castle a few times a week. One person caught Renée's attention: A boy who looked like he could have been just starting college. He looked dazed. Renée heard a voice coming from him. “This sure ain't Huntington,” he was thinking. “This a trip or am I just dreaming?”  
Erin scowled at the group and rushed by. Renée stood a moment longer before catching up. “Was he…?”  
Erin pursed their lips and nodded. They reached Erin's room before speaking again. “Summer will make sure that one is returned home, at least. I'll give her that much credit.”  
Renée smiled. “That's good to know…” She didn't know what else to say.


End file.
